Details relating to the operation of a vehicle under adverse conditions are recorded and collected. This data is particularly useful to forestall catastrophic failures, and to provide valuable information for potential buyers of used vehicles. Among the operating conditions that are considered are high levels of air contaminants, operation in extreme hot or cold temperatures, hauling heavy loads, as well as hard braking, turning and acceleration. In addition to the detection and recording of data, prorated maintenance schedules are recalculated and adjusted to accommodate for the operation of the vehicle under these adverse or less than ideal conditions. Typically, the data is stored in the on-board computers present in most vehicles. Periodic off loading of the data to the dealer and service providers is also provided.